Valentines Day

Valentines Day is big in the US. Really big. Couples give each other presents such as jewelery, ties, new gadgets, but flowers, chocolate, and "romantic dinner" are also part of the day. The restaurants are usually booked and its crazy busy (and a bit overprized). But then kids give their friends presents, and their parents, and their grandparents, and their dogs, and their neighbors. Cards are crafted, and little presents are included. It's kinda crazy. We usually don't do Valentine's Day to that extent, it just seems a bit too much.

But, we have a child in daycare, and even the young toddlers "do Valentine's Day". We got a heart from Silvan with his hand print and "Roses are red, Violets are blue, I made this heart, with love for you!! Love, Silvan" written on the back.



Tuesday Silvan and I made chocolate muffins for the daycare, a bit late for Valentine's Day, but we hadn't done any Christmas gifts for the teachers. Which is another story by itself. Silvan had just changed over and we didn't know the teachers well enough for personalized presents. Then, we learned that some parents give each teacher a full weeks pay as a Christmas gift. Wow. Given, that there are 3-7 teachers and teaching assistant in the infant and young toddler group, that would have been 600-1200 Dollars (we pay 180 for 3 days). It just seemed crazy. But not everyone can afford this kind of extra money, and although most people give a little something, we decided to wait a bit with our gift.

Monday was crazy warm, we had 5C outside and everyone was walking in the sun, wearing T-Shirts only. It was nice and kind of crazy. The ice flowers on the windows were gone and we actually could look outside without the haze and fog! But that night temperatures plunged back down well below zero. It's nice to enjoy some hot chocolate once more.